General Project Information

Objectives:

Underlying much of the European Commission's Science and Society Action Plan is the need for more mutual understanding of, and closer relations between, scientists and the media, and for researchers to be involved in two-way communication with citizens through public dissemination, dialogue and debate. But these are tasks for which most scientists are ill equipped by their formal training. This proposal addresses this key issue. ESCW, the European Science Communication Workshops, brings together science communication teachers across Europe, to exchange information and "best practice", to raise key European issues in the training of young scientists in communication with the media, policy makes and the "general public". It proposes to develop and deliver science communication workshops to science and technology researchers, particularly those engaged un Framework 6 research projects, for wich there are communication training requirements. These workshops will go beyond existing "skills-based" provision to deal with the current climate for dialogue and debate. At the end of this project, the workshops will be available to be given on a self-sufficient, not-for-profit basis. ESCW builds on and extends the ssuccessful workshops of the European Network of Science Communication Teachers, ENSCOT, which was funded under the Framework 5 programme "Raising Public Awareness of Science and Technology". ENSCOT had 5 member states participating, ESC will have 12 countries eligible for the Framework 6 programme. ESCW will be a Specific Support Action as envisaged by the Science and Society Work Programme.'